Another big James Talarico interview is punted to YouTube due to FCC threats | The VergeSkip to main contentThe homepageThe VergeThe Verge logo.The VergeThe Verge logo.TechReviewsScienceEntertainmentAIPolicyNotificationsNotificationsHamburger Navigation ButtonThe homepageThe VergeThe Verge logo.NotificationsNotificationsHamburger Navigation ButtonNavigation DrawerThe VergeThe Verge logo.Login / Sign UpcloseCloseSearchLightSystemDarkTechExpandAmazonAppleFacebookGoogleMicrosoftSamsungBusinessSee all techReviewsExpandSmart Home ReviewsPhone ReviewsTablet ReviewsHeadphone ReviewsSee all reviewsScienceExpandSpaceEnergyEnvironmentHealthSee all scienceEntertainmentExpandTV ShowsMoviesAudioSee all entertainmentAIExpandOpenAIAnthropicSee all AIPolicyExpandAntitrustPoliticsLawSecuritySee all policyGadgetsExpandLaptopsPhonesTVsHeadphonesSpeakersWearablesSee all gadgetsVerge ShoppingExpandBuying GuidesDealsGift GuidesSee all shoppingGamingExpandXboxPlayStationNintendoSee all gamingStreamingExpandDisneyHBONetflixYouTubeCreatorsSee all streamingTransportationExpandElectric CarsAutonomous CarsRide-sharingScootersSee all transportationFeaturesVerge VideoExpandTikTokYouTubeInstagramPodcastsExpandDecoderThe VergecastVersion HistoryNewslettersArchivesStoreVerge Product UpdatesSubscribeFacebookThreadsInstagramYoutubeRSSThe VergeThe Verge logo.Another big James Talarico interview is punted to YouTube due to FCC threatsNotificationsNotificationsComments DrawerNotificationsCommentsLoading commentsGetting the conversation ready...PolicyClosePolicyPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All PolicyEntertainmentCloseEntertainmentPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All EntertainmentNewsCloseNewsPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All NewsAnother big James Talarico interview is punted to YouTube due to FCC threatsJimmy Kimmel is the latest talk show host to move an interview with Talarico online after the FCC “threatened” him.Jimmy Kimmel is the latest talk show host to move an interview with Talarico online after the FCC “threatened” him.by Stevie BonifieldCloseStevie BonifieldNews WriterPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Stevie BonifieldSep 10, 2026, 2:34 PM UTCLinkShareGiftImage: Bloomberg via Getty ImagesStevie BonifieldCloseStevie BonifieldPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Stevie Bonifield is a news writer covering all things consumer tech. Stevie started out at Laptop Mag writing news and reviews on hardware, gaming, and AI.Jimmy Kimmel will be interviewing Democratic Texas Senate candidate James Talarico “under unusual circumstances,” posting the interview directly to YouTube, rather than airing it on TV during Jimmy Kimmel Live. In Wednesday night’s episode, Kimmel said this was out of concern for retaliation from the Trump administration’s FCC:[Trump’s] FCC has threatened me, threatened our show, threatened our network, ABC, our affiliates, our local stations based on simple, traditional editorial decisions, guest bookings, it would seem they don’t like. And so, out of consideration for our local stations, especially our ABC affiliates in Texas who would have to deal with this nonsense, my interview tomorrow with James Talarico will not air on television. It will be posted on YouTube instead. It will not be on TV.Kimmel’s announcement comes almost a year after his show was taken off the air in response to threats from FCC chair Brendan Carr. In February, Stephen Colbert also had to move an interview with Talarico to YouTube, claiming CBS barred him from airing it over worries about upsetting the FCC, citing the FCC’s equal time rule. The FCC also took aim at The View after an interview with Talarico earlier this year.ABC, which airs Jimmy Kimmel Live and The View, filed a lawsuit against the FCC last month claiming it has “waged a retaliatory campaign” against its networks, “punishing” ABC by threatening to pull its broadcast licenses.Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.Stevie BonifieldCloseStevie BonifieldNews WriterPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Stevie BonifieldEntertainmentCloseEntertainmentPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All EntertainmentNewsCloseNewsPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All NewsPolicyClosePolicyPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All PolicyPoliticsClosePoliticsPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All PoliticsSpeechCloseSpeechPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All SpeechTV ShowsCloseTV ShowsPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All TV ShowsMost PopularMost PopularThe iPhone Duo is Apple’s first foldableHands-on with the foldable iPhone DuoApple’s iPhone 18 Pro has a dynamic aperture main cameraiPhone 18 live blog: On the ground at Apple’s biggest eventiPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max: Our first hands-on impressionsVideoThe Verge DailyA free daily digest of the news that matters most.Email (required)Sign UpBy submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice. 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Jimmy Kimmel relocated an upcoming interview with Democratic Texas Senate candidate James Talarico to YouTube rather than airing it on television due to concerns stemming from threats made by the Federal Communications Commission. Kimmel explained that this decision was a response to potential retaliation from the Trump administration’s FCC. The threat originated from the FCC, which reportedly targeted Kimmel, his show, the network, ABC, its affiliates, and local stations based on what the FCC perceived as simple, traditional editorial choices and guest bookings. This move by Kimmel was made partly out of consideration for local stations, particularly ABC affiliates in Texas, who might have faced repercussions from these regulatory actions.

This instance of shifting content based on regulatory pressure echoes previous incidents involving Talarico and the FCC. Nearly a year earlier, Stephen Colbert also had to move an interview with Talarico to YouTube, citing worries about the FCC’s equal time rule as a factor in the decision. Furthermore, the FCC had previously focused its attention on The View following an interview with Talarico earlier in the year. Adding context to the strained relationship, ABC filed a lawsuit against the FCC recently, alleging that the agency had engaged in a retaliatory campaign against its networks, suggesting that the FCC was attempting to punish ABC by threatening to revoke its broadcast licenses. This sequence of events illustrates the tension between media production, editorial freedom, and regulatory oversight concerning broadcast standards and political administration.